Obermehler: Obermehler-Schlotheim Airfield

For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!
CoordinatesN511604 E0103806 (WGS84) Google Maps
Elevation 909 ft
Former East Germany (GDR)District of Erfurt
Federal stateThüringen (Thuringia)
Location indicatorEDCO (2000)
Map with location of Obermehler Obermehler-Schlotheim Airfield, Germany
Germany during the Cold War Map
The history of the Cold War airfields: Schlotheim/Obermehler

Location of airfield

3 km northwest of Schlotheim.

During the Cold War

Use

Soviet military airfield in East Germany.

History

  • 05 May 1955
    A train loaded with construction equipment, one crane truck, one ambulance, six tractors, two repair shop trucks, seven trucks and with three boxcars loaded with air force personnel is dispatched from Wildpark to Schlotheim. (Source: CIA)
  • July 1955
    140 freight cars with perforated steel plates (PSP) are shipped from Brandis to Schlotheim. The CIA estimates that in total 2,000 tons of PSP were transfered, which should be sufficient for a runway of 2,000 m x 40 m. (Source: CIA)

In the 1960s

Overview

Obermehler-Schlotheim Airfield, Germany, on a US satellite image 1969
Obermehler Obermehler-Schlotheim Airfield on a US satellite image from Saturday 02 August 1969
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

In the 1970s

Situation

Schlotheim Obermehler Airfield on a US map 1972
Schlotheim Obermehler Airfield on a map of the US Department of Defense from 1972 - The field is shown with an unpaved runway (small circle), which has a length of approx. 2,400 m (67 = 6,700 feet). The elevation / height above mean sea level is 925 feet. The blue lines mark the southern allied air corridor from and to Berlin
Source: ONC E-2 (1972), Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin

Overview

Satellite image from 10 March 1970
Satellite image from Tuesday 10 March 1970 - The runway and the outer taxiway has been cleared of snow.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Schlotheim Soviet airfield, East Germany 1973
Satellite image from Monday 13 August 1973 - On this picture only the northwest corner of the field can be seen. However, it still clearly shows a paved runway, which apparently even has a standard painting.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Satellite image from 1976
Satellite image from Friday 13 August 1976 - In comparison to previous pictures, no paved runway can be seen anymore (1). Possibly the surface was dismantled between 1973 and 1976. In the south, an object like a surface-to-air missile site with six launchers (2) was erected, which appears almost circular.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Runways

  • 11/29: 2400 m

Radio beacons

  • LOM 29: 445 "QI"
  • LMM 29: 217 "Q"

Radio communication

The call sign was PESTRIJ.

Today

Use

General aviation.

Overview

Aerial picture Obermehler Airfield, Germany
Aerial picture (2014) - Today with 1.450 m, the runway is considerably shorter than during Soviet use.
Source: GDI-Th, Freistaat Thüringen, TLVermGeo, www.geoportal-th.de Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0, www.govdata.de/dl-de/by-2-0

Sources

Links

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